Pennsylvania § 2101 - Organization and failure to organize.

§ 2101. Organization and failure to organize.

(a) Organization.--The board of commissioners shall organize on the first Monday of January of each even-numbered year. If the first Monday is a legal holiday, the meeting shall be held the following day. The board of commissioners shall assemble for the organizational meeting at the place of meeting at a time convenient to the governing body.

(b) President and vice president.--At the organizational meeting, the board shall elect one member as president and one as vice president, who, as long as the member continues to be a commissioner, shall hold office until the successors are elected and qualified. The president, or, in the president's absence, the vice president, shall preside at all meetings of the board, and perform other duties as are specified in this chapter or which may be prescribed by ordinance.

(b.1) Failure to form quorum.--If a majority of the board of commissioners does not attend the organization meeting, those present may adjourn the meeting from day to day until a majority attend.

(c) Failure to organize.--If the board of commissioners of a township fails to organize within 10 days as required under this section, the court of common pleas, upon the petition of at least 10 registered electors, verified by the affidavit of one of the petitioners, shall issue a rule upon the delinquent commissioners to show cause why the seats should not be declared vacant. The rule shall be returnable not less than five days from the time of its issue, and after hearing, the court may declare the seats of the members of the board responsible for the failure to organize vacant and shall appoint others to hold office for the respective unexpired terms.

(d) Classification of meeting.--The organizational meeting under this section may be considered a regular monthly meeting for the transaction of business that may come before the board of commissioners. The first order of business at this meeting shall be organization of the board. The board of commissioners may, at the organizational meeting, appoint other officers as may be provided for by law or ordinance, or as may be deemed necessary for the conduct of affairs of the township.